School of Social and Political Science

Background

My research aims to deepen understanding of inequalities in teenagers’ educational and occupational aspirations through a sociologically informed analysis of the 2000/02 Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). It seeks to develop a wider understanding of the social processes underpinning social reproduction and the transmission of inequality.

I have spent the past ten years working across a range of professional services roles in higher education. I have led and supported teams at the University of Nottingham, University of Warwick, the Open University, and Queen Mary University of London, working in areas such as student representation/voice/advocacy, student engagement, academic policy, and programme management. Throughout my career, I have been motivated by a commitment to widening participation and improving the student experience for underrepresented groups.

As a first-in-family graduate, I am committed to creating inclusive educational spaces where all students feel a sense of belonging and are supported to thrive. I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) and a certified Mental Health First Aider. My wider interests include education policy (with a specialist knowledge of English Widening Participation policy and its implications), social mobility, progression and attainment, and careers advice provision. 
 

PhD working title:

Poverty of Aspiration? A Comparative Analysis of Educational and Occupational Aspirations of Teenagers in Three British Birth Cohort Studies.

Supervision: 

• Dr Roxanne Connelly
• Professor Vernon Gayle

Publications:

Book reviews:

Costello, P. (2024) Book Review: The Degree Generation: The Making of Unequal Graduate Lives, British Sociological Association Network Magazine. 

Book chapters:

Oatley, S & Costello, P. (2026) 'Measuring Educational Attainment', Encyclopedia of Measurement in Social Sciences, 2nd edition.

Qualifications:

• MA Policy Studies in Education, Institute of Education (UCL), 2023

  Dissertation title: Getting In, Getting On, Getting Out: An exploration of the experiences of first-in-family graduates and their parents in UK Higher Education. Supervised by Dr JD Carpentieri. 

• BA (Hons) Politics, University of East Anglia, 2016

Tutoring: 

• Doing Survey Research (2024/25, 2025/26)

Memberships:

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
• Member of the International Sociological Association (ISA), RC28: Social Stratification
• Member of the British Educational Research Association (BERA)
• Member of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA)